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(I read a blog post on Hello Giggles where the writer wrote her childhood self a little letter, here’s what I would tell myself.)

Your Beanie Babies are cute, but that’s it. They’re not going to be worth any money someday so you may as well take the tags off and love them instead of keeping them on a shelf.

Someday your hair will be curly. This will come as a surprise, but embrace it. Maybe it’s karma for laughing at dad’s high school yearbook pictures. Maybe it’s puberty. Maybe it’s God’s way of teaching you empathy for every other person in the world with curly hair. For most of middle school and the beginning of high school, it’s going to be rough. Sooner or later you will learn to work with it and then a while after that you’ll learn to love it.

Be nicer to Julie and Will. They turn out to be cool and less annoying when they grow up.

Keep a journal because someday you (me?) will wish you did. Smile in mom’s pictures even though you don’t always feel like it. You are a cute kid, but no one will remember that unless you actually cooperate for the camera.

Read everything you can get your hands on. Read books about ghosts, about cowboys, about spies, about Laura Ingalls Wilder, everything. This is the best way to learn and make friends. Go to the library and read before bed. Make friends with people who read a lot too so you don’t feel like a nerd.

When you turn 14 or 15 try to be less selfish. Think about the big picture instead of feeling sorry for yourself. You are living the dream, stop pouting 15 year old Shannon.

Ask your grandparents lots of questions about growing up. They have lots of cool stories to tell you and they love to share. Spend as much time as you can with them because someday you won’t get the opportunity.

As dad will tell you, you cannot change boys/guys/men (men? nah). Don’t try and more importantly, don’t let them try to change you. Don’t bother trying to listen to their music, follow with sports teams or anything else just to please him. Hopefully someone will figure out how great you are just as you are. You are great.

Sorry dear, but you will not be famous or rich by the age of 22. Maybe after (fingers crossed) but right now is not looking so good. That’s alright. You still turn out funny and smart and beautiful, according to your mom. You will someday have many Twitter followers though.

Even though you quit dance to play sports, you’ll dance again and appreciate a lot more the second time around. I’m still glad you (we?) played sports even if you (we?) didn’t go to the Olympics after all.

This is weird, but someday you will like to run. Of course between now and then a guy named Steve will invent a machine the size of three of your fingers that can play 1500 songs. Naturally, wait until this is invented to teach yourself to like to run.

Trust your choices. You are usually right. You will turn down an internship that will pay a lot more to spend a summer living in the res halls, dancing on stage, scooping ice cream and singing the fight song. It will be the best summer of your life. Good call.

Stay busy always. Do everything. Learn how to say no, but don’t ever actually say it. Except for drugs, always no to drugs.

Always try new foods. They sometimes look/smell/seem gross. It’s the only way you will learn to like bananas. You will probably never learn to like potatoes and people will continue to treat you like you have leprosy because of this.

That’s all for now. I’m sure I’ll think of other things to tell you, so keep your eyes peeled for another letter.

I'm Shannon and this is where I blog about a little bit of everything. I read, teach Pilates, craft things, sing loudly and travel. I love the simple things in life, like equality, ending intimate partner violence and karaoke-ing Michael Jackson songs. Read on and leave me a comment.